US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin will visit the Indo-Pacific to contain Chinese assertiveness and to strengthen US force posture, infrastructure presence and readiness in the region.
This will be Austin's fourth trip to the region since becoming defence secretary and his first in-person dialogue since the beginning of COVID-19, senior defence officials said.
Alongside his trip to the Indo-Pacific, the secretary will also give a major speech at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore and is going to visit the defence leaders and American troops in Thailand.
The trip comes after President Joe Biden's trip to South Korea and Japan last month and it is another instance of the importance America places on the region. Senior US officials continue to travel to the region and continue to interact with leaders in the Indo-Pacific.
Chinese defence leaders have requested a meeting with Austin on the fringes of the Shangri-la Conference, the officials stated.
China's belligerent attitude in the Indo-Pacific including an uptick in Chinese naval activity and its ongoing militarization of the South China Sea has compelled several Southeast Asian countries to explore multilateral security arrangements and moderation.
In February, Washington released a 12-page fact sheet stating that they will focus on every corner of the region from South Asia to the Pacific Islands to strengthen its long-term position and commitment, including an emphasis on supporting and partnering with India. Washington-based experts have said this policy measure meant to strengthen America's relation with Asia and counterbalance China's influence lacks strong trade incentives that are viewed as politically perilous in the US.
( With inputs from ANI )
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